


Dear Maria

by frankieboycastle



Category: Marvel, Punisher, netflix mcu
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 13:28:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17663549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frankieboycastle/pseuds/frankieboycastle
Summary: Frank has a conversation with his wife.





	Dear Maria

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀”Hey Maria,”  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀[ frank sat motionless on  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀her grave, his fingers ran  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀tenderly over the engraving.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀MARIA CASTLE  
⠀⠀⠀⠀ LOVING MOTHER & WIFE  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀loving: how loving maria  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀had always been ]  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀”I met this girl. Her names Amy. She’s hell on wheels, and a pain in my ass. But...”  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀[ he looked over at lisas  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀grave, and inhaled a  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀shaking breathe ]  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀”She’s a little older than what Lis would be now... She reminds me of what we could have had. We could have teenagers. Lis would be so moody and she’d hate us and she would sneak out, and Frankie would go to every party and be a little player. They could have the world, and we could have given it to them...”  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀[ frank buried his face in his hands.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀the occasional sob racked through his body,  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀but he didn’t care ]  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀”I was supposed to give it you. I was supposed to protect you! The second I laid eyes on you, I knew God made me for one reason alone. Then I held Lisa, and I held Frankie. And I was sure. I was made to protect you three! I was supposed to grow old with you Maria. We were supposed to stress over the kids growing up together, we were supposed to be grandparents together. But now...”  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀[ frank couldn’t believe himself.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀maybe if he left cerberus a little  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀earlier, they could have had it all.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀maybe maybe maybe maybe  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀franks mind is filled with these ]  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀”It just doesn’t feel the same with you, ‘Ria. It’s just so unfair. We were the dream team, love. You and I, we had so much life left in us.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I was getting out. I was coming home, and staying home. We were finally going to get the home life I promised you before Lis was born. We were going to start that garden I said I never wanted, and Frankie was going to start baseball, and Lisa was going to do dance. Do you remember that Maria? I do. Frankie and Lisa were so excited, and you just wanted to plant those damn tulips.  
⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I wish I would have just listened. I wish I would have just slowed down, and fucking listened. I wish I would have helped you with that garden, and gone to a baseball game, and a dance recital.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀There are so many good, pure memories of you I’m too scared to touch. If my filthy hands graze the memory of yours, it’ll ruin you. I’m not the same man I was, Maria.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I see you in all the good things in life. You’re the sweet smelling candle in Harpers apartment, or the homemade apple pie Billy makes me. I remember you like I remember my own skin. It’s a familiar, sensuous, remembrance. And it’s all /mine/. I remember you in the smell of cinnamon, or the taste of vanilla, and the warm heat rising to my face. I see you behind my eye lids, I hear you when it gets too quiet. I just really wish I could do more than remember.”  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀[ theres a lot frank  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀wished he had done ]  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀”I think I might love someone, now. I don’t want to, I’ve been trying to push it away. But, I doubt you’d want me suffering and being alone. Her names Karen. She’s a sweetheart, and she’s so brave, and so kind. But... She’s not you, Maria. I wished she was. Sometimes at night, when we’re asleep, I try to pretend it’s you. But it’s not you. It never is.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I love Karen, I really do. She’s the best part of this new life I have. But, you were my soul mate. She’s someone I love now, you’re someone I love always.  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀But Karen’s amazing. She’s gentle, ya know? It’s weird. Since you passed I’ve gotten so used to nothing but bitter, cruel violence. But she’s different.”  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀[ frank stood up,  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀drooped the bouquet of tulips,  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀and dusted his pants off ]  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀  
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀”I love you, Maria. Always.”


End file.
